Franchise, Sequels, Prequels & Reboots

It can be said that Hollywood loves sequels.  And obviously the audiences do too.  Of course this is not a new thing, but I think Hollywood has made a record number for 2011.  You’ll note that Hollywood loves Roman numerals, but also loves mixing them in with regular numbers.  They also love colons.  I love how much thought goes into coming up with the subtitle for the film and retaining the series name, because in the end the average movie-goer just says “2 tickets for Pirates 4 at 7:30”.  I also love the continuity and un-continuity of certain series.  (I’m looking at you Rambo and Fast and the Furious).  I’ve put years on every film because reboots most likely take the name of the original film.  You know, not to confuse anyone or anything.

And yes, many times if different composers take over, the original theme is maintained.  Since this happens pretty regularly I don’t list them as composer.  Also, many series continue in direct-to-video fashion - but I've left them out.  And in case you're wondering, the Land Before Time is now up to XIII. 

FILM SERIES – SAME COMPOSER 
Austin Powers Trilogy – George S Clinton
Back to the Future Trilogy – Alan Silvestri
The Bourne Trilogy – John Powell
Evil Dead Trilogy – Joseph LoDuca
The Godfather Trilogy – Nino Rota, Carmine Coppola
The Hobbit Trilogy - Howard Shore
Indiana Jones 1-4 – John Williams
Lethal Weapon 1-4 - Michael Kamen
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – Howard Shore
The Magnificent Seven 1-4 – Elmer Bernstein
The Man with No Name Trilogy – Ennio Morricone
The Matrix Trilogy – Don Davis
Millennium “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy – Jacob Groth
The Naked Gun Trilogy – Ira Newborn
Ocean's Trilogy – David Holmes
Police Academy 1-7 films – Robert Folk
Rush Hour Trilogy – Lalo Schifrin
Saw 1-7 – Charlie Clauser
Scream 1-4 – Marco Beltrami
Star Wars Prequel/Original Trilogy– John Williams
The Three Colors Trilogy  - Zbigniew Preisner
Transformers Trilogy – Steve Jablonsky
Toy Story Trilogy – Randy Newman


After the jump, I've included a list of trilogies, quadrilogies and series with different composers.  Check it out!


TRILOGY + QUADRILOGY + MORE
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) – Harry Gregson-Williams
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) – Harry Gregson-Williams
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) – David Arnold

Jurassic Park (1993) – John Williams
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) – John Williams
Jurassic Park III (2001) – Don Davis

Jurassic World (2015) - Michael Giacchino

The Mummy (1999) – Jerry Goldsmith
The Mummy Returns (2001) Alan Silvestri
The Scorpion King (2002) - John Debney
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) – Randy Edelman/John Debney

Poltergeist (1982) – Jerry Goldsmith
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) Jerry Goldsmith
Poltergeist III (1988) Joe Renzetti

Poltergeist (2015) - Marc Streitenfeld

Predator (1987) – Alan Silvestri
Predator 2 (1990) – Alan Silvestri
Predators (2010) – John Debney

RoboCop (1987) Basil Poledouris
RoboCop 2 (1990) Leonard Rosenman
RoboCop 3 (1993) Basil Poledouris

RoboCop (2014) - Pedro Bromfman

Spider-Man (2002) Danny Elfman
Spider-Man 2 (2004) Danny Elfman
Spider-Man 3 (2007) Christopher Young

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) - James Horner
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) - Hans Zimmer

Alien (1979) – Jerry Goldsmith
Aliens (1986) – James Horner
Alien³ (1992) – Elliot Goldenthal
Alien Resurrection (1997) – John Frizzel

Prometheus (2012) - Marc Streitenfeld

The Hunt for Red October (1990) – Basil Poledouris
Patriot Games (1992) – James Horner
Clear and Present Danger (1994) – James Horner
The Sum of All Fears (2002) – Jerry Goldsmith

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) - Patrick Doyle

Die Hard (1988) – Michael Kamen
Die Hard 2 (1990) – Michael Kamen
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)  - Michael Kamen
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) – Marco Beltrami

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) - Marco Beltrami

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) –Howard Shore
Hannibal (2001) – Hans Zimmer
Red Dragon (2002) – Danny Elfman
Hannibal Rising (2007) - Ilan Eshkeri/Shigeru Umebayashi

Ice Age (2002) – David Newman
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) – John Powell
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) – John Powell
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) – John Powell

Mission: Impossible (1996) – Danny Elfman
Mission: Impossible II (2000) – Hans Zimmer
Mission: Impossible III (2006) – Michael Giacchino
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – Michael Giacchino

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) - Joe Kraemer

The Omen (1976) – Jerry Goldsmith
Damien: Omen II (1978) – Jerry Goldsmith
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)  - Jerry Goldsmith
The Omen (2006) – Marco Beltrami

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – Klaus Badelt
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) – Hans Zimmer
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) – Hans Zimmer
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) – Hans Zimmer

First Blood (1982) – Jerry Goldsmith
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – Jerry Goldsmith
Rambo III (1988) Jerry Goldsmith
Rambo (2008) – Brian Tyler

Shrek (2001) – John Powell/Harry Gregson-Williams
Shrek 2 (2004) - Harry Gregson-Williams
Shrek the Third (2007) - Harry Gregson-Williams
Shrek Forever After (2010) - Harry Gregson-Williams

The Terminator (1984) –Brad Fiedel
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) –Brad Fiedel
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) – Marco Beltrami
Terminator Salvation (2009) – Danny Elfman

Terminator: Genysis (2015) - Lorne Balfe

Twilight (2008) – Carter Burwell
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) – Alexandre Desplat
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) – Howard Shore
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (2011/2012) – Carter Burwell

MULTIPLE FILM SERIES
Batman (1989) – Danny Elfman
Batman Returns (1992) – Danny Elfman
Batman Forever (1995) – Elliot Goldenthal
Batman & Robin (1997) – Elliot Goldenthal
Batman Begins (2005) – Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
The Dark Knight (2008) - Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - Hans Zimmer

The Fast and the Furious (2001) – BT
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)  - David Arnold
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) – Brian Tyler
Fast & Furious (2009) – Brian Tyler
Fast Five (2011) – Brian Tyler

Fast & Furious 6 (2013) - Lucas Vidal
Fast & Furious 7 (2015) - Brian Tyler

Final Destination (2000) – Shirley Walker
Final Destination 2 (2003) – Shirley Walker
Final Destination 3 (2006) – Shirley Walker
The Final Destination (2009) – Brian Tyler
Final Destination 5 (2011) – Brian Tyler

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) – John Williams
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – John Williams
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – John Williams
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – Patrick Doyle
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) – Nicholas Hooper
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) – Nicholas Hooper
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010/2011) – Alexandre Desplat

Dr. No (1962) – Monty Norman
From Russia with Love (1963) – John Barry
Goldfinger (1964) – John Barry
Thunderball (1965) – John Barry
You Only Live Twice (1967) – John Barry
Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) – John Barry
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – John Barry
Live and Let Die (1973) – George Martin
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) – John Barry
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – Marvin Hamlisch
Moonraker (1979) – John Barry
For Your Eyes Only (1981) –Bill Conti
Octopussy (1983) – John Barry
A View to a Kill (1985) – John Barry
The Living Daylights (1987) – John Barry
Licence to Kill (1989) – Michael Kamen
GoldenEye (1995) –Eric Serra
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – David Arnold
The World Is Not Enough (1999) – David Arnold
Die Another Day (2002) – David Arnold
Casino Royale (2006) – David Arnold
Quantum Of Solace (2008) – David Arnold

Skyfall (2012) - Thomas Newman
Spectre (2015) - Thomas Newman

The Karate Kid (1984) – Bill Conti
The Karate Kid, Part II (1986) - Bill Conti
The Karate Kid, Part III (1989) - Bill Conti
The Next Karate Kid (1994) - Bill Conti
The Karate Kid (2010) –James Horner

Planet of the Apes (1968) – Jerry Goldsmith
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) – Leonard Rosenman
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) – Jerry Goldsmith
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) – Tom Scott
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) – Leonard Rosenman
Planet of the Apes (2001) – Danny Elfman
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – Patrick Doyle

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) - Michael Giacchino

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) – Jerry Goldsmith
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – James Horner
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) – James Horner
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Leonard Rosenman
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) – Jerry Goldsmith
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) – Cliff Eidelman
Star Trek Generations (1994) – Dennis McCarthy
Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – Jerry Goldsmith
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – Jerry Goldsmith
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – Jerry Goldsmith
Star Trek (2009) – Michael Giacchino

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) - Michael Giacchino

Superman: The Movie (1978) – John Williams
Superman II (1980) – Ken Thorne
Superman III (1983) – Ken Thorne
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) – Alexander Courage
Superman Returns (2006) – John Ottman

Man of Steel (2013) - Hans Zimmer

X-Men (2000) – Michael Kamen
X2: X-Men United (2003) – John Ottman
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) – John Powell
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) – Harry Gregson-Williams
X-Men: First Class (2011) – Henry Jackman

The Wolverine (2013) - Marco Beltrami
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - John Ottman

And of course a shout-out to the franchises I didn’t list (and their 5000 film versions): Frankenstein, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street

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1 Comments

  1. So this is what you were doing on the computer alllll night last night :) Bravo, sir! Thanks for the Twilight shout out - yeah Carter Burwell!

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